Raz
''"I am a rock that has lain too long on the beach" ''- Razzhiik Xhinthizhir Raz, or Razhiik Xhinthizhir, was a Xhihiran of little note born in a small fishing village nestled in the mangrove swamps of northern Vhir. He remained unnotable for the majority of his life, marrying early and having a single son. Before the Hand His life changed when one day, while fishing in their small boat, Raz let his son go out and swim among the rocks and shoals in the bay alone, while his father basked peacefully on a nearby rock. A slaver ship, no doubt on the run from the fleets of Okarthel, sailed into the bay looking for shelter and spotted the small Xhihiran boy, a rare and precious catch. Raz's efforts to board the ship and rescue his son were met with a hail or arrows, slings and other missiles, forcing the weeping father to hide underwater. His son was cut down while trying to escape the deck of the ship, and Raz pulled the boy's torn body back to the shore. As culture based on Ancestor Worship, the loss of a child in a Xhihiran community is both a tragedy and a great disgrace. Raz was effectively banished from his home for his carelessness, and for many years wandered Etan, making a living through mercenary work, thuggery, and increasingly, witch hunting. His psionic abilities, meager in his earlier years, seemed to grow as he immersed himself in a life of toil and combat. As a survivor, he was unmatched, making trips that would kill lesser men through steaming swamps or frozen tundras to find his prey. The Adorned Hand His entry into the Adorned Hand was awkward and uneasy for him. The years had not been kind to Raz, his body bore the marks and scars of countless journeys and countless battles. He was a stranger in a land he did not love, and his introverted nature became apparent when the other members of the party struck up conversation with him. He was awkward, blunt and uncharming, but as a ring-bearer, he was destined for unfathomable things. The adventures of the Adorned Hand left their mark on Raz. The discovery that he had been pushed along his miserable road by a force he had not even comprehended, the Guide, left him deeply scarred and bewildered. Although they traveled for months together, Raz never felt a strong connection with anyone in the party. Hidal came close to being a friend, but the Magus' uncaring view of the world, and his obsession with knowledge and its spreading at all costs drove Raz away. Lucius, the trickster, never appealed to Raz. His ostentatious ways jarred with the old Xhihiran's upbringing, and his incessant lying and laissez faire attitude irked the witch-hunter to no end. Above all though, it became apparent over the months that Raz was not made to fight the threats he and his allies faced. Enemy after enemy fell before them, but in many cases the witch-hunter was outclassed, outmatched and ultimately unable to contribute much on the battlefield or off it. Still he persisted, wishing to find the kernel of truth at the heart of the great web of mysteries, but that truth only left him hollow and more alone than ever. The Setting Sun Upon killing the Guide, Raz returned to his village and slowly, over the later years of his life, investing the fortune he had accumulated in helping those around him. He was accepted back into village life in time, and he spent most days fishing idly in the bays and nooks of his home, letting the sun bleach his skin from green to gray as the years rolled by. He never spoke to any of the Adorned Hand again, never spoke of his journey to any in his village, and, many years later, passed away and was mourned by those around him, many of whom now saw him as a wise old man who lost everything he cared for but gave everything he had to his people.Category:CharactersCategory:Xhihiran